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UNDERSTANDING MCL FOR PRECINCT DELEGATES

168.623a Mailing or delivering certificate showing number of delegates to county convention; time; notice; failure to forward certificate; allotment and apportionment of delegates; election of delegates by direct vote.

Sec. 623a.

(1) On or before April 1 in even numbered years, the chairperson of the county committee or district committee of a congressional district or a part of a congressional district considered a county under section 592 of each political party shall forward by mail or otherwise deliver to the board of election commissioners in that county a certificate showing the number of delegates to the county convention to which each precinct of the county is entitled. The chairperson of the state central committee of a political party shall notify the chairperson of the county committee or district committee of a congressional district or a part of a congressional district considered a county under section 592 of that political party no later than March 1 in even numbered years that the certificate required by this subsection is to be delivered to the board of election commissioners on or before April 1 of that year.

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(2) If the chairperson fails to forward the certificate required by subsection (1) by the day specified, the board of election commissioners shall immediately determine the number of delegates to the county convention that each precinct should elect for the implementation of this act.

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(3) The allotment of delegates to all precincts in the state shall be made to insure, as near as is practicable, equal apportionment based upon the total vote cast for the candidate of each political party for either president of the United States or secretary of state at the last general November election when elections for those offices were held, whichever is later. However, each precinct shall have at least 1 delegate.

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(4) The apportionment shall be based on the precincts as they exist 180 days before the August primary election in even numbered years.

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(5) As many delegates in each precinct as a political party is entitled to according to the certificate authorized by the chairperson of the county committee or the board of election commissioners shall be elected at the August primary in even numbered years by direct vote of the registered electors of each political party in the county.

168.624 Delegate to county or district conventions; qualifications; affidavit of identity; seating of delegates; violation as misdemeanor; complaint; procedure.

Sec. 624.

(1) A person holding a public office in this state or a municipal subdivision of this state may become a candidate for delegate to the county or district conventions.

 

(2) A candidate for delegate to the county or district conventions of a political party shall be a qualified and registered elector residing within, as well as having his or her actual bona fide residence within, the election precinct for which he or she desires to become a candidate on the filing deadline. A candidate must file an affidavit of identity as prescribed in section 558(1) with the county clerk of the county in which the candidate resides. A county clerk shall receive affidavits of identity under this section up to 4 p.m. on the thirteenth Tuesday before the time designated for holding a primary election in the county. All duly elected and certified delegates shall be seated at the county or district county conventions. A person violating this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.

 

(3) If a written complaint is made to the county clerk with respect to the registration or bona fide residence, or both, of a candidate, the county clerk shall check with the township or city clerk of the township or city in which the candidate is registered or residing, or both. The township or city clerk shall report back to the county clerk within 48 hours as to the registration or bona fide residence, or both, of the candidate. If the township or city clerk's report shows that the candidate is not a registered elector or a bona fide resident of the election precinct of the township or city for which the petition shows the candidate is a resident, the county clerk shall remove the name of the candidate from the ballot. A complaint received by the county clerk after the ballots have been released for printing and before the primary election must not be acted upon.

168.624a Precinct delegate; resignation; notice; withdrawal of name from ballot; qualification of delegate to participate in convention; complaint regarding qualification of delegate; report; certification that delegate not qualified to hold office.

Sec. 624a.

(1) A precinct delegate may resign his or her office upon written notice to the chairperson of the county committee and the county clerk of the county or district in which the delegate resides.

 

(2) An individual who has filed an affidavit of identity for precinct delegate may withdraw his or her name from the ballot by filing a statement of withdrawal with the county clerk within 72 hours after 4 p.m. of the last day to file for the office of precinct delegate.

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(3) An individual elected to fill a delegate vacancy or elected as a precinct delegate is not qualified to participate in a convention if, at the time of the convention, that individual does not reside in the precinct from which he or she was elected. A delegate is not disqualified if the delegate no longer resides in the precinct as a result of a division or rearrangement of the precinct under section 660 or 661.

 

(4) If a written complaint is made to the county clerk regarding a delegate's qualification to hold the office, the county clerk shall check with the township or city clerk of the township or city in which the delegate indicated on the affidavit of identity as his or her place of residence. The township or city clerk shall report back to the county clerk within 48 hours as to the complaint made under this subsection. If the township or city clerk's report shows that the delegate is not qualified to hold the office, the county clerk shall certify to the chairperson of the county committee of the political party the name of the delegate of that political party who is no longer qualified to hold the office of delegate under this subsection.

168.624d Filling vacancies in precincts.

Sec. 624d.

Vacancies in precincts resulting from the death of a delegate, the written resignation of a delegate to the chairperson of the county committee, the removal of a delegate's residence from the precinct, or any  other reason may be filled for the balance of the unexpired term by a majority vote at the county convention of the delegates elected and serving. A delegate vacancy shall be filled by a registered elector of the precinct in which the vacancy occurs.

168.595 Delegates to state conventions; apportionment to wards, precincts, townships or districts; basis.

Sec. 595.

At the time of issuing the call for the county convention of any political party for the election of delegates to a state convention, the county committee of each political party shall apportion to the various wards (or to the precincts, in case delegates to the county convention are elected by precincts) and townships of such county the delegates to the ensuing state convention to which such county is entitled upon the basis provided for in this act for the apportioning of such delegates to the several counties. Any township may be joined with 1 or more other contiguous townships or any ward of a city may be joined with 1 or more other wards of the same city (or, in case delegates to the county convention are elected by precincts, then any precinct may be joined with 1 or more precincts of the same city), in the formation of a district for the choosing of 1 delegate. The delegates to the county convention from each ward, precinct, township or district, as the case may be, shall choose the number of delegates to the state convention that have been apportioned to such ward, precinct, township or district. The number of delegates so apportioned to the several wards, precincts, townships and districts shall approximate, as nearly as may be, the number of delegates to which said county may be entitled. If any ward, precinct, township or district shall be without representation in the county convention, or if such ward, precinct, township or district shall not choose the delegate or delegates to which such ward, precinct, township or district is entitled, or if the apportionment has not been completed or followed in the selection of delegates, the convention shall choose the delegate or delegates to which such ward, precinct, township or district may be entitled.

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